37 died, 30 others injured in Bolivia bus crash

At least 37 people have died and 30 others were injured after two passenger buses collided in Bolivia, police have confirmed.

The crash occurred early on Saturday, about five kilometres (three miles) from the southwestern city of Uyuni. One of the drivers is receiving intensive care, while the other remains in a stable condition, police commander Wilson Flores said.

Images published in Bolivian media showed one of the buses severely damaged, with its bodywork ripped apart and luggage strewn across the roadside.

The accident happened on the route between Uyuni and Colchani in Bolivia’s Potosí department. Local media reported that a “lane invasion” caused the collision. One of the buses was en route to the western city of Oruro, where the Oruro Carnival—one of Latin America’s largest festivals—was taking place.

By 10:00 local time (14:00 GMT), authorities had recovered both vehicles, and the injured were transported to hospitals in Oruro and Potosí. The identities of those who died have not yet been confirmed, and the condition of the injured remains unclear.

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Cdr Flores told local media that police were awaiting the results of alcohol tests taken by both drivers.

Deadly traffic accidents are frequent in Bolivia. In February, more than 30 people were killed when a bus plunged nearly 800 metres (2,625 feet) into a ravine between Potosí and Oruro. A month earlier, another accident in the same region claimed the lives of 19 people when a bus veered off the road near Potosí.

According to government data, an average of 1,400 people die in road accidents every year in Bolivia, a country of approximately 12 million inhabitants.

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